Rainbow Farm
The Products
They produce citrus fruits, bananas, coffee, patriotic bananas, soursop, medicinal and ornamental plants, and a nursery of fruit trees. They also offer agritourism experiences to teach visitors about practices and crops.
The Techniques
This farm employs an agroforestry system known as "multi-strata planting." Coffee is a shrub that grows in the shade of trees—specifically timber and fruit trees. Beneath the coffee plants, there are even more crops. Together, they form an ecosystem resembling a natural forest, which promotes the health of all the crops, as well as that of other plants and animals. The farm also utilizes organic fertilizers that the family produces themselves, along with soil conservation practices.
The People
Edilberto was one of the first famers to join Mandela, but unfortunately he passed away shortly after. The family is grateful for the support they received from volunteers of the Yale Alumni Service Corps in the construction of ecological trails.